Imphal, Nov. 13: Police are suspecting NSCN (I-M) cadres behind yesterday’s attack on Manipur education minister D.D. Thaisii in Senapati district.

Thaisii, who is also minister in-charge of youth affairs and sport, escaped unhurt. However, one India Reserve Battalion jamadar, who was escorting him, suffered splinter injuries and is now in the intensive care unit of Shija Hospitals here.

“We have information that the attack was carried out by cadres of the NSCN (I-M). The area is a stronghold of the Naga militant outfit,” a senior police officer told this correspondent today.

The Ibobi Singh government is now planning to flush out NSCN (I-M) cadres from the state. The move came after yesterday’s attack and also an earlier attack on a Naga Independent MLA in April.

“The chief minister is consulting the Centre for flushing out the cadres of the NSCN (I-M) from Manipur, as the ceasefire is not effective in the state,” government spokesperson and irrigation and flood control minister N. Biren Singh said.

The NSCN (I-M) is holding talks with the Centre since 1997 and the dialogue has entered a crucial phase.

Biren Singh said there were also plans to strengthen state forces in the hills to check activities of militant groups operating there .

Thaisii was on his way to visit his Assembly constituency of Karong in Naga-dominated Senapati district when the attack came at 6.30pm near Koide village, about 5km from the Imphal-Dimapur highway.

The police said the minister’s convoy, including his security escorts, were negotiating the hilly road when militants hurled a hand grenade.

The grenade exploded in front of the minister’s bulletproof car and behind one of the vehicles of his security escorts.

The security escorts fired back. The minister safely reached his native village at Purul, not far from the site of the attack later in the evening.

Search operations continued today and the police recovered three unexploded grenades from the site.

The government spokesman said Thaisii left Imphal yesterday afternoon for his constituency to inspect development activities there. Despite the attack, the minister inaugurated a community hall at Purul today.

The director general of police Yumam Joykumar Singh said a police commando team was rushed to Purul as additional security for the minister.

This is the second time the NSCN (I-M) has targeted a Naga MLA in the state since April.

NSCN (I-M) militants ambushed Naga Independent MLA from Ukhrul, Wungnaosang Keishing, on April 15, while he was coming back to Imphal from Ukhrul. He escaped unhurt but six of his escorts and two civilians were killed.

The police believed Thaisii was targeted for continuing in the Ibobi Singh government.